13th July 2009, 05:24 PM
This has been a completely disastrous period for Irish Archaeology, and if anything the current projections of job losses (50% +) are optimistic in the extreme. Whilst 82% of contract staff sounds realistic ? 26% of full-time archaeologist sounds way off the mark, and I think this figure has been slightly skewed by how ?contract staff? are defined. One of the big five companies is no longer trading, and many others are down to a bare minimum, with staff working short-time, 15-20% pay reductions, and removal of all benefits including sick pay and accommodation.
With no road schemes initiated this year, and no road schemes yet given the green light in the immediate future, the commercial sector will slim down further in 2009 as post-excavation work draws to a close. This is caused by a massive public deficit and compounded by the lack of direction in central government, as the Finance department have stopped all projects that may continue longer than the end of this year. The effect of this has been a price war between archaeological companies, and judging by some of the recent winning kamikaze bids, some are working for free, or sailing close to bankruptcy.
It?s hard to see a positive outcome from all this. The survey concludes:
?The reduction in the numbers of archaeologists brings fear of a ?brain drain? as skilled and experienced employees lack the opportunities to put their abilities into practice in the work place. There is now a real risk that a significant proportion of the skilled archaeologists currently in Ireland, at a range of experience levels, may be forced to leave the profession. Their exodus will sever the crucial connection between the excavating archaeologists, the site archive and the ultimate dissemination of knowledge through appropriate media.?
The emigration of skilled workers is a painful and historically resonant prospect in Ireland, but one that?s now firmly underway.
http://www.diggingthedirt.com
With no road schemes initiated this year, and no road schemes yet given the green light in the immediate future, the commercial sector will slim down further in 2009 as post-excavation work draws to a close. This is caused by a massive public deficit and compounded by the lack of direction in central government, as the Finance department have stopped all projects that may continue longer than the end of this year. The effect of this has been a price war between archaeological companies, and judging by some of the recent winning kamikaze bids, some are working for free, or sailing close to bankruptcy.
It?s hard to see a positive outcome from all this. The survey concludes:
?The reduction in the numbers of archaeologists brings fear of a ?brain drain? as skilled and experienced employees lack the opportunities to put their abilities into practice in the work place. There is now a real risk that a significant proportion of the skilled archaeologists currently in Ireland, at a range of experience levels, may be forced to leave the profession. Their exodus will sever the crucial connection between the excavating archaeologists, the site archive and the ultimate dissemination of knowledge through appropriate media.?
The emigration of skilled workers is a painful and historically resonant prospect in Ireland, but one that?s now firmly underway.
http://www.diggingthedirt.com